By Jeff Goldman
nj.com
WALDWICK, N.J. — A member of a Bergen County town’s volunteer ambulance corps was killed in a crash on Interstate 287 last week, officials said.
John Papendick was driving his car south near milepost 61.2 in Franklin Lakes just before 9:30 a.m. Wednesday when he veered off the highway to the right and struck a guardrail, State Police said. Papendick’s car then slid across the road and slammed into a concrete barrier.
Papendick, 58, of Waldwick, died of his injuries at an area hospital that evening.
A member of the Waldwick Volunteer Ambulance Corps for 11 years, Papendick held the positions of second lieutenant, captain and president at various points during his time as a volunteer, according to borough Mayor Tom Giordano. Also a CPR instructor, Papendick “led by example and dedicated himself to serving our residents,” the mayor said in a statement. “He was a generous person who put the needs of others before his own.
“John was a good person who would do anything for you. He will be remembered for his caring and giving heart and his legacy of service to others. He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.”
Flags in the borough will be lowered in Papendick’s memory for the next three days, Giordano said.
Papendick was a married father of three sons, according to an online obituary.
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